Sikorsky turns the Black Hawk into a fully autonomous cargo drone

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, has unveiled the S-70UAS U-Hawk, a fully autonomous variant of the UH-60 Black Hawk designed to operate as a heavy-lift cargo drone.

Developed in just ten months, the prototype replaces the Black Hawk’s cockpit with actuated clamshell doors and a loading ramp, transforming the crewed helicopter into a platform capable of operating without pilots on board. Equipped with MATRIX autonomy software and a new fly-by-wire system, the aircraft can take off, fly, and land entirely under autonomous control.

Credit: Sikorsky “We developed this prototype from concept to reality in under a year,” said Rich Benton, Sikorsky vice president and general manager. “The U-Hawk continues the Black Hawk legacy of being the world’s premier utility aircraft and opens the door to new capabilities as a UAS.”

Unveiled at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) exposition in Washington, D.C., the U-Hawk is designed to perform a wide range of missions: transporting ammunition, delivering supplies, or deploying drone swarms from its cargo bay.

It can also carry uncrewed ground vehicles, and self-deploy over 1,600 nautical miles (2,960 kilometers) or remain airborne for up to 14 hours without refueling.

From pilot to operator

Instead of a pilot, the U-Hawk is commanded through a tablet interface. With a single touch, operators can open the clamshell doors, load cargo, and launch the aircraft. MATRIX autonomy then handles the entire flight plan, using onboard sensors and algorithms to navigate and avoid obstacles.

By removing the cockpit and crew systems, Sikorsky has effectively created the first autonomous cargo helicopter derived from the Black Hawk family. The company says the retrofit can be replicated at scale, offering a lower-cost logistics UAS that retains 95% commonality with the existing UH-60 fleet.

“The U-Hawk offers a cost-effective utility UAS by leveraging commonality with the existing UH-60 fleet, and its uncrewed nature reduces both operating and maintenance costs,” added Igor Cherepinsky, director of Sikorsky Innovations.

A step beyond experimentation

At the Paris Air Show 2025, the company highlighted how MATRIX technology was being integrated into legacy UH-60A airframes to enable “intelligent co-pilot” modes. The U-Hawk takes that one step further: a fully autonomous, uncrewed Black Hawk designed for operational use.

The aircraft’s first flight is expected in 2026, positioning it as one of the most capable rotary-wing cargo drones under development, and a potential model for future uncrewed logistics in both military and civil contexts.The post Sikorsky turns the Black Hawk into a fully autonomous cargo drone appeared first on AeroTime.

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